


Lost one.

by Kittenskysong



Category: Power Rangers Turbo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:41:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25367008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittenskysong/pseuds/Kittenskysong
Summary: What if Tommy had actually gone to the pit of despair?After Tommy falls into the pit he finds himself trapped in a horrible place. While his friends frantically try to get him back.
Kudos: 3
Collections: Tommy in trouble





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There are a couple of deaths but they are negated by magic.

one

Tommy Oliver saw the strange teen who’d come into the cave lunge for the rope. He had time to see the other’s horror shocked face before he fell. 

Landing on his back, Tommy looked up at the hole he’d fallen through.  
He scrambled to his feet and jumped trying to grab the edge of the hole. His hands missed the opening by centimeters. Tommy landed on his back again with a hiss of pain, but before he could get up again, the opening shimmered and vanished.

Tommy couldn’t help the cry of fear that escaped him. For a moment, he nearly fainted from sheer terror. Finally, though, reason came back to him and he looked at his hands. Using his teeth, he managed to loosen the rope binding them and twisting his hands just right. This caused the rope to fall to the sand. He untied his ankles and rubbed at the sore spots before sitting down just above where the dark, wet sand turned to light and dry.

He sat there for a long time. He would never know just how long he sat. He was waiting for his friends to rescue him. They would come. They HAD to come. He sat and waited, idly tracing his fingers in the dirt.

The Pit of Despair was what Divatox’s mother had called this place. It didn’t actually seem that bad. He was sitting on a beach not much different than the beaches back in Angel Grove. The sea was a bit different, a reddish color instead of sea green.

He noticed the sun was beginning to set and frowned at that. Patience... he had to be patient. He was thinking that when he felt something sharp slide across the back of his neck. Tommy let out a yelp and clapped his hand to his neck.

Pulling it back, Tommy stared at the blood on his fingers and the smashed creature he’d wiped off. It looked like a tiny bird made of metal. “Weird,” he muttered, tossing it down. There was a sudden sharp pain on his arm.

Tommy looked down and saw another creature identical to the first. He brushed this one off as well. It had taken a two inch piece of skin clear off his forearm. Tommy felt another cut and jumped to his feet. Whatever these things were, he needed to try to get away. That was when the rest of the swarm hit him. 

-There must be hundreds- Tommy thought as he took off running. He kept slapping his hands on different parts of his body, trying to stop what was happening. The pain was becoming unbearable and Tommy staggered a few steps before going to his knees.

The cuts were no more than skin deep, as if the creatures were only eating Tommy’s skin. They also weren’t very big. One or two cuts wouldn’t have been bad. Even three or four wouldn’t have made much of an impact. The problem was that Tommy had hundreds of them now.  
The creatures just kept at him. No matter how many he killed, there always seemed to be more. Tommy tried to crawl away from them. He didn’t make it very far at the edge of the sea before his strength finally failed him completely. Tommy scrabbled for a minute at the sand before finally going limp. He gasped in air, his heart pounding as blood soaked the sand beneath him. His body gave a convulsive shudder and then stilled as Tommy Oliver died.

__

Ice cold water splashed over his entire body. Tommy came awake, gasping in panic. He scrambled to his feet and looked down. The cuts and the creatures that had made them were gone. -Did I imagine it?- Tommy couldn’t help but wonder.

There was still the blood, dried on his arms and the tears in his clothes. He HAD really been attacked, which meant he had to assume that the rest had happened as well. “I died and came back.” He said the words aloud, but still couldn’t comprehend them.

He knelt next to the water and used it to wash the blood off as best he could. The others would come. If he had come back once, he’d probably come back again. Not that Tommy wanted a repeat of those bird things. Dying hadn’t been much fun. The darkness coming in at the edges... feeling heart spasming in his chest. It had been horrible.

“They’ll get you out,” Tommy murmured to himself. He cupped his hands in the water and took a taste. It was fresh and tasted okay. He took a few swallows carefully. The water sat in his stomach like lead and seconds later he was violently ill.

Fifteen minutes later, he was dead again. When he awoke the second time, he stood brushing himself off. He couldn’t stay here. Tommy needed food and water and shelter while he waited. Hopefully, there would be those somewhere.

Glancing around he saw a wooded area not that far away. The woods would provide shelter and hopefully food and water could be found. Water that wasn’t poisonous to him.

–

Tommy stepped out from behind a tree, pulled the string of his bow back and let the arrow fly. The aim was true and the animal he was aiming it at fell. Tommy called it a deer, but it looked closer to a giant rabbit. They were his primary source of meat and their fur made for good clothes. Unlike Tommy, they stayed dead when they died. Which meant he could eat them and use their fur.

It had taken him awhile for him to learn how to hunt them. That first year had been full of hunger. Tommy had starved to death twice, died of thirst many more times than that until he’d found a spring of fresh water, although it was miles from where he’d started out.  
There were other things that had killed him: the metal birds that he dubbed ‘skinners’ since they only ate skin. The wild animals that seemed to love playing with their prey before eating them. Plus, there were the other things. These things that didn’t act on instinct but seemed to be capable of thought. They were just as evil as anything he had ever faced as a Ranger.

Tommy didn’t think about them if he could help it. It had been two years since he’d seen one of them and he hoped he would never see them again, especially a particular one. He also didn’t think much about Earth anymore. When he did, he felt a bitter anger and rage. His friends had never come, they hadn’t even sent him a message or anything.

SEVEN YEARS! It wouldn’t be so bad if Tommy knew that it would end someday. Not only did he come back after he died, he also had not gotten any older. He figured that this was it; this was his afterlife and his hell. When Tommy had time where he wasn’t fighting not to die - since he had come to hate dying - it filled him with despair.

That, he knew, was the whole point of it.

__

  
What Tommy had no way of knowing was that time had passed differently in the dimension he was trapped in. For him it had been seven years, butto the people searching for him, it had been only seven days. Seven days in which they had done very little but try to find a way to bring their friend home.

Katherine Hilliard closed the book she was looking through with a loud hang that made her friends jump. “Useless, again. It just says it’s impossible!”

She buried her face in her hands, fighting back the tears which were threatening to come again. She had cried so much in the last week that she didn't think she had any tears left to cry. A hand squeezed her shoulder and she looked up at Adam Park. “Maybe you should take a break.”  
Kat shook her head rubbing at her eyes. “We can't afford to take too many breaks. We have no idea just how bad the time difference is.”

That was the only thing they knew for certain about the Pit of Despair, time went by much faster there. What they do not know was precisely how much faster, or how much time they had before Tommy died of old age. This discovery had led to them working feverishly to try and solve the problem.

“It isn't your fault, you know,” Tanya Sloan said from where she sat across from Kat. Kat nodded, but wasn't entirely sure it wasn't her fault. Tommy had been captured while trying to protect her after all. Trying, as the team leader, to look out for his teammate. To look out for his girlfriend.

Rocky DeSantos leaned across the table and slid the book Kat had shut. He opened it to a random page and began to read silently. After a moment, he glanced up, “You’re still feeling the after effects of giving up your powers, Kat. Rest for a bit. Besides, it’s my turn to study.”

Finally, Kat went over to one of the couches they had set up for naps and laid down on it. The group was working and sleeping around they clock in the Oliver's basement. Unable to come up with a convincing lie as to where Tommy had gone, they had ended up telling his parents the entire truth.

Tanya turned back to her own book, an Aquitarian tome that she was reading via a translator. She read once again about the time difference, then a paragraph made her stop and go back. She read it slower this time. “Well, that doesn't help us.”

“What doesn't?” Jason Lee Scott said waking in. He dropped some bags with food in the middle of the table. Jason and Rocky had come back to Angel Grove to help with the search for their friend.

“It says it’s not getting INTO the Pit that’s hard; it’s getting OUT of it. The spell, which is in several of these books, is an easy one that anyone can use. The problem is that it won't work once we’re inside.” Tanya told them this as she took a salad out of one bag and poured ranch on it.

“We know that much,” Jason said rolling his eyes. “The only reason we haven’t gone after him yet is we would just get stuck ourselves.”

“This writer agrees with you. They also have a theory... they’re very careful to say that it’s possible someone with something called... the Great Power of Phaedos could get out. But we don't...” Tanya trailed off when she realized Adam and Rocky were staring at her mouths open. 

“What?” she said.

Adam took the book and translator and began to read out loud. “To those possessing the Great Power, all things are possible. Therefore it is entirely feasible that one holding it would not only be able to enter but also return.”

Adam set the book slowly down on the table, his face solemn. Slowly, he broke into a grin and let out a whoop of excitement. He and Rocky began to talk almost simultaneously, tripping over each other in their excitement.

“If we can get the others to come--”  
“Risky, but Tommy’s a scrapper we find him and we will--”  
“We can do this, we can!”  
Jason held up his hands. “Guys, guys! I'm confused. How does any of this help us?”

“Ninjetti, Jase!” Rocky exclaimed and hugged Tanya, spinning the former yellow ranger around in a circle.

“The Ninjetti powers?” Jason asked just as a sleepy voice asked.

“What’s all the excitement?” Kat stood rubbing her eyes looking at them in confusion. Rocky grabbed her arms practically jumping up and down.  
“We can get Tommy!” he yelled.

“Guys!” Jason slapped his hand down on the table with a loud crack. Adam and Rocky both turned to look at him. They both were beaming with excitement. Jason glared at them. “Would you please tell us how we do this? And what on Earth do the Ninjetti powers have to do with anything? Tommy told me about them once, but he said they allowed you to beat one monster and then you had to go get the ninja powers from Ninjor. Also that book said ‘Great Power’ not ‘Ninjetti.’”

“Yeah, well... maybe we got carried away.” Adam said looking shamefaced. Rocky sighed and sat down. Adam continued slowly. “The Ninjetti powers are the great power of Phaedos. We could have conceivably kept using them after Ivan Ooze... I mean, they were tied to the six of us. Me, Rocky, Aisha, Kim, Billy and Tommy. The problem was separately, they were weak We all had to be together for it to work. Together we could do anything. Apart, not so much.”

Rocky picked up the thread. “Oh, we could morph and stuff but it was like fighting at half power. Rita and Zedd kept isolating Tommy, and then Rito showed up. He really did a number on us and isolated us. Finally, when we were so weak that we could barely function, they blew the 'zords up. 

“So we found Ninjor, but he refused to help us. Tommy told him to get stuffed and that we didn’t need him. He called Ninjor a few choice names, remember Adam?”

Adam laughed at the memory. Ninjor had given them their Ninja powers as a result of that conversation. Jason spoke now, still frowning. “I thought the time slide Master Vile did negated all of that. Tommy said you had to get the Zeo powers because the Ninja powers were gone.”

Adam shook his head. “After we fixed the timeline, we tested it. Those of us still in Angel Grove could all call our Ninjetti powers still. They would have been useless against the Machine empire, though. Billy used his a couple of times to get out of trouble, but beyond that we kept them hidden. The point is, Jason, that with the Great Power... anything is possible. We could conceivably go in and get back out.”


	2. Two

Kimberly Anne Hart was doing what she had done for the last six days when Kat had called her to tell her what had happened to Tommy. She sat cross-legged on her bed willing the phone to ring, chewing on her nails.

Kim had never chewed on her nails before, but then again she had never been this worried. It was true that she and Tommy were no longer a couple, but he was still her friend. She wished she had flown back to Angel Grove with Jason. Although Jason had pointed out that too many researchers would just trip over each other and Kim was still getting over a cold.

When the phone finally rang, she yanked it up and blurted. “Jason?"

“No, its Adam." He sounded mildly amused, which made her a bit hopeful. Perhaps they had gotten Tommy back. "Kim, can you come back to Angel Grove?”

Kimberly seriously considered it. She didn't really have anything important to do and she supposed that a few days vacation wouldn't be looked down upon. "Yes, I think I can. Adam, have you all found Tommy?"

"No, but we think we know how to get him back. We’ll fill you in when you get here. Call me when you’re ready. The new Rangers said they’ll teleport you."

Kim hung up and began to pack a small bag. When she finished, she left a note for her roommate and called Adam back.

\--

Billy Cranston stood watching a few of the aquatic lifeforms of the Aquitarian ocean dart back and forth in front of the window of his private quarters. It had taken him a while to get used to the idea that couples had separate rooms on Aquitar. When he had, Billy had admitted it wasn't a bad idea, especially since Cestria snored.

At the moment, he was relaxed and simply enjoying the view. While it was true that he always had numerous projects he was working on, sometimes Billy just liked to enjoy his adopted world. There was always something new to see here. His musings were interrupted by a voice he had not thought to hear in person again.

"Wow, that is an awesome view!" the voice said. Billy whirled and Jason smiled at him. "Hey, Billy got a minute?"

"What are you doing here? Is everyone all right? My dad, it's my dad isn't it?" Billy tripped over his words the questions coming in a rush.

"Wow, um... No, I came to get you. We need your help. Tommy is in worse trouble than he's ever been in... which considering that this is Tommy, that’s saying a lot." Jason made a face and went on. "Your dad is fine, by the way. He misses you."

"I miss him as well." Billy said wistfully and then frowned. "What kind of trouble is Tommy in, exactly?"

Jason quickly bought Billy up to date on what had been happening back on Earth. Billy listened then nodded. "Just let me tell Cestria where I am going, and we can be off."

\--

Aisha Campbell was throwing rocks at a tree. Well, maybe not throwing exactly. More that she was lobbing them with a leather sling. She was doing it for the simple reason that she was tired of the other teens in the village making fun of her for being an American. According to them, the only weapon she understood was a gun.

So she had talked her aunt Akasha into teaching her how to use a sling, and Aisha was failing miserably. Her stones kept falling short, if they flew at all. I should have used daggers, would have shown everyone a thing or two.

Aisha picked up another rock and whirled the sling over her head, letting the stone fly. For what felt like the millionth time, it went wild. She heard the sound of stone hitting flesh and a pain-filled cry. She turned, dropping the sling to the ground.

Rocky sat on the ground holding his hand to his head. "Rocky!" She ran to him and pulled his hand down to examine the small bruise that was beginning to form on his forehead. "I'm so sorry! What are you doing here? I'm sorry... really!"

"It's not that bad," Rocky said with a shrug. He stood up and brushed the sand from his pants. "I hate to say it, but this isn't a social call. We need the Ninjetti powers,"

Aisha frowned, "Okay, spill! What's going on?"

Rocky told her the entire story, leaving nothing out. When he was done, Aisha was pacing back and forth furiously. Rocky ended with, "We don't actually know if the Ninjetti powers will get us back home once we go, but we do know it may be Tommy's only hope."

Aisha sighed heavily. "Let me tell my family and say goodbye."

\--

It had taken two days to gather everyone together and say goodbye to loved ones. Jason was the only one without Ninjetti powers who was going. The young man simply refused to be left behind. Now he stood between his parents, watching the final preparations. "Are you sure about this?" Lisa Scott asked her son.

His parents had not really been all that surprised to know he had been a Power Ranger. Actually, none of their parents had been that surprised. It made Jason wonder if they had known all along. "I have to, Mom. We all have to."

"Jason?" Kat spoke from behind him. He turned to see her and Justin Stewart, the young Blue Ranger. "Bring him back to us."

"We will." Kim had come up. "Everyone is ready."

Tanya read the spell and one by one the teens stepped through the portal. Jason adjusted the strap of the backpack he wore and stepped into the void.

\--

Tommy stretched, yawning as he woke. The light was shimmering through the opening of the cave he lived in, and it made as good as an alarm clock as any. He shivered slightly. The weather was starting to turn cold again. He checked his bow because he was going to have to hunt again.

  
He sighed, wondering again what the point was in all of it. Even if he did starve to death, he would just come back. Tommy lifted his hand and formed it into a makeshift mouth. "Because dying hurts."

  
"I know, hand." Tommy sighed, lowering his hand. He wondered if he was crazy, talking to his hand like that. The truth was that he needed someone to talk to ad since his so-called friend's hand abandoned him, he was left with his hand or... Tommy shook his head. He was not going there.

He picked his bow up again and strung it carefully. The last thing he needed was to snap it. There were very few things he had found that made good ones.

Tommy picked up the quiver he had made for the arrows and slung it on his back. He had twenty arrows, sharpened sticks with notches in the base. Not really arrows in the formal sense, but they worked well enough.

He had discovered if he burnt them a bit in a fire they got tougher and were less likely to fray. Again, he wished that he knew how to make actual arrows. Or even a better weapon to use,

He stepped towards the cave opening when a sound ripped through the silence. Tommy stopped cold. The sound was one he hadn't heard in years: a human screaming in terror.

\--

"This place is a lot nicer than I expected, " Aisha said as she looked around. They were standing in a forest clearing with birds chirping in nearby trees. There was even a deer-like animal grazing nearby. "Wait is that a giant rabbit?"

"Kinda looks like it," Kim said shading her eyes. She yelped suddenly and slapped her hand to her neck. "There are bugs, too."

When Kim lowered her hand, the others could see blood on her fingers. Billy glanced around and when he saw the swarm coming towards them he felt a sudden shock of terror. "RUN!"

The bird-like creatures hit them at once. All of them became too preoccupied with fighting the skin eating creatures off to know where they were going or what they were doing.

They scattered while slapping at the creatures. They tried to get away because each of them knew they were in serious danger. Jason ran hard, slapping at his arms as he did. He tripped over a tree root and fell hard, skinning his palms.

Rolling over on his back, he felt his eyes go wide as several of the birds dove for his face. Screaming in terror - the same scream Tommy heard at his cave - Jason threw his arms over his head.

The birds bit him, tearing off the skin. He batted at them but soon weakened from blood loss. Jason let his arms fall to his side and stared up at the alien sky. Did you die like this Tommy? Jason wondered to himself He felt a single tear run down his face and then everything went black.

\--

Tommy watched from behind a tree, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible. The figure on the ground writhed in pain and then went still. The Skinners were chittering as they fed.

  
They never stayed long after feasting and soon flew away, trailing bits of skin after them. Tommy crept out slowly, staying low until he saw the figure. Its clothes were torn to shreds and most of its skin was gone, but the body was unrecognizable as a human.

Tommy frowned. What was he supposed to do? He glanced up at the sky. The Skinners were gone, but the blood would bring other animals attracted to the smell. If he was going to do something, he had to do it fast.

The second year he was here, Tommy had found stones that could be broken into crude blades. Hard enough to sharpen a stick or cut a branch off of trees. He cut a few now and, using some ivy, tied them together. It made a crude but serviceable travois.

He rolled the body onto it and dragged it slowly back to his cave. Still, he had no idea why he was doing this. It wasn't like anyone helped him back when he first died.

Back at the cave Tommy lit the fire and waited. He sat there watching, fascinated as the wounds closed and the skin grew back. Watched as the features reformed. When the other man finally opened his eyes and looked at him, Tommy remembered his name. "JASON? Dream? Me dream now?”


	3. Three

Rocky woke with a gasp, where he had fallen beside a rushing river. He had fallen one hand in the shockingly cold water. What had happened? He wasn’t entirely sure the answer to that question. He thought he had died, that of course was impossible.

Standing up he brushed himself up and took stock. He was lost in the woods of a strange world, separated from the others, and without them, there was no chance of getting back. Bending down Rocky bought a handful of the water up and sniffed it. It smelled of Sulphur, Sighing he let it run through his fingers.

Straitening back up Rocky wondered downstream trying to figure out what to do now. He had to find the others, but where to start looking. He pushed back the branch of a tree blocking his way and stopped as a sound reached his ears. A low growling noise, the sound put him in mind of an angry dog. Rocky turned slowly, every hair on his body suddenly standing up.

IT wasn’t a dog, more of a house cat. IT was however the biggest housecat Rocky had ever seen. IT was about the same size as a small pony. He backed away slowly as the cat dropped from the branch it had been crouched on to land lazily in front of him. "Nice Kitty." Rocky stammered backing slowly up.

The cat which still put Rocky in mind of a housecat despite its huge size crouched down and Rocky realized it was going to pounce. He turned and ran. The cat knocked him off his feet. Rocky became lost in a whirlwind of claws, teeth, and fur. The cat let him up briefly, only to knock him off his feet.

The third time It caught him It closed its jaws on his neck and gave a shake. Rocky heard a crackling sound, and once again the darkness of death rushed in.

\--

Kimberly woke up with a gasp. Like Rocky, she wondered for a minute what had happened. Tommy, they had to find Tommy. She pulled herself to her feet and looking down groaned. Her shirt had been ripped open, at least her bra was intact and her jeans.

She looked around trying to see if any of the others were nearby. A figure was bent over double by a tree, dry heaving over a pile of vomit. Kim wrinkled her nose in distaste but carefully approached the figure until she could see who it was. "Billy?"

He whirled his eyes wild and then his shoulders slumped as he realized who had spoken. "Kim. I thought I thought everyone was..."

"Dead? I think I was." Kim tries running a hand through her hair only to find it a tangled mess. "I think those bird things killed me."

"Yeah, me too." He sighed and squinted. "My contacts got knocked out. I can barely see. And my glasses were with the supplies, I guess there’s no chance of finding them."

Kim goes to shake her head and realizes he probably can not see it. "I doubt it. We need to find the others." She slipped her arm into his. "Come on."

They hadn’t even taken a step when they heard the breaking of a twig. Kim looked around at the forest, seeing nothing but the trees around them. "Jason?" She called out. A sound of laughing reached them, but it could have been an animal. It was hard to tell.

Something was staying just out of sight. Walking slowly around the area, making sure they knew it was there. "Come on." Billy tugged on Kim’s arm and began walking. Kim had to pull him back to keep him from walking into a tree. The sound of laughter came again.

They shuffled along, but it soon became apparent the animal was following them. It seemed to be playing a game with them. IT had even begun throwing things at them. Leaves and twigs, but neither of them could tell where they were coming from. "I think it's driving us," Billy muttered.

Kim frowned at the trees around them. "I don’t think it's an animal, Billy."

"Yeah, I don’t think so either"

\--

Adam had woken only a few feet from the place they had been attacked. He made his way back to the clearing and looked down at the supplies laying there. He picked up his pack, which was surprisingly intact, and looked through the other packs.

HE found Billy's glasses and pocketed them. If no when he found his friend he would return them. The problem was he didn't know where to begin looking. They had all scattered in different directions, and he had no idea if any of them were alive. HE also had no idea how or why those bird things had suddenly left him alone, they had been ripping his skin off and then everything went black. Sighing he leaned against a tree and considered his options, which honestly sucked

\--

Aisha grabbed the bottom branch of a tree and swung herself up into it. Climbing hand over hand she went up until she was hidden in the foliage. Gasping for breath she leaned against the trunk.

The bird things had caught her twice had killed her twice. When they had caught her the third time she had found this tree. She heard them chittering angrily. “Please God, not again.”

The sounds faded though and it became apparent they were flying away. Aisha sagged in relief and then holding to the branch over her head she pushed the leaves blocking her view aside.

The place was deceptively beautiful and also peaceful. It put her in mind of a forest meadow. There was even a river flowing peacefully along. The only thing it lacked was a couple of deer drinking from it.

That was when one of those giant rabbits hopped out of the woods and bent down to drink. Aisha about fell out of the tree with laughter. Holding tight with her legs she clamped a hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t be heard.

She burst into tears just as quickly. She was lost in an alien world with no chance of going home finding the others was going to take a miracle and without them there was no hope.

\--

Jason stared dumbly at the figure in front of him. Finally, he reached out and traced his fingers down Tommy’s face. “This heaven then?”

Tommy blinked at him a frown flitting over his face. “Heaven?”

“Yes, I mean I died.” Jason looked down at his body and noticed his clothes were no more than rags.

“Here come back. Death not last.” Tommy bent over the fire and reaching behind him snagged a piece of wood. He tossed it into the flames and stirred it with a stick. “Strange dream this.”

Jason blinked, his mouth opened and closed twice before he found his voice. “Tommy, this isn’t a dream. I am here.” He reached over and took his friend's hand. Tommy yanked free his dark eyes unreadable. “Okay, no touching. Tommy, I’m sorry we took so long.”

Tommy snorted and turned away Jason sighed, not sure what he could say that would convince him. Finally, he spoke again choosing his words carefully. “alright, believe it’s a dream. Just help me find the others.”

"Others?” Tommy turned back to Jason. “There others?”

For a brief second, Jason considered asking Tommy why he was talking so funny. The guy sounded like a two-year-old just learning how to talk. Jason discarded the idea with a thought How long has he been here?

It couldn’t have been that long, Tommy was the same age he had been when he had fallen into the pit of despair. “Aisha, Adam, Kim, Billy, and Rocky. We bought the great power to take you home.”

Tommy considered this for a moment and then stood up. He grabbed the bow that had been laying next to him and snatched up a quiver “River best place look.” Tommy stopped and lifted his hand forming it into a mouth. “Don’t trust him.” HE lowered it. “No choice, Hand. Besides not real.”

With that, Tommy walked out of the cave leaving a very confused Jason to follow after him.

\---

Tommy moved fast, Jason had to run to keep up with the other. Tommy seemed to know exactly where he was going. He stopped finally and Jason took a moment to catch his breath 

Jason opened his mouth to ask a question only to stop when Tommy shook his head and gestured for Jason to stay silent. Tommy pointed to a figure standing near one of the trees. Whoever it was they were partly in shadow which made it hard to tell who it was.

Tommy notched an arrow to his bow and pulled back on the string just as the figure stepped into the light. He lowered it slowly and regarded Adam for a moment, before snorting and stomping off. “Adam, you okay? Jason said softly.

Adam startled, he looked straight at Jason as if seeing him for the first time. “I thought everyone was dead.” Bursting into tears he covered his face with his hands. Jason wrapped the smaller teen in a hug.

“You die again you not learn be silent.” Tommy had come back. “Found Rocky.”

Adam and Jason followed their friend. They both heard Rocky before they saw him. The Latino was cursing in both Spanish and English. Then he would scream only for it to start over. They came out of the woods and saw the cat first. “Holy fuck.” Adam blurted

“Not move, not hunt you if not move,” Tommy told them. He stepped out onto the riverbank drawing an arrow from his quiver as he went. Rocky saw him and scrambling up ran for Tommy. The cat came right after. Tommy breathed in and fired.

The cat let out a squawk and went over backward pawing at the arrow in its right eye. It scrambled up snarling. “no more.” Rocky gasped out. “Please no more.”

Tommy didn’t even glance at Rocky, instead, he slowly drew another arrow out and then in one movement drew it and fired. It hit the cat in the other eye and the animal let out a yowl that sounded an awful lot like a woman screaming. 

It careened off across the river and went crashing through the undergrowth of the forest on the other side. “Thanks,” Rocky gasped out, he would have said more, but Tommy abruptly clapped his hand over Rocky’s mouth. Tommy put a finger to his mouth and then pointed up.

Jason, Adam, and Rocky all looked up and went still. None of them dared to move or even breathe. They all recognized the birds circling overhead. The birds from earlier the ones who had attacked them. Tommy stepped back slowly eyes watching the sky. 

He slipped so quietly into the woods that it was almost as if he had vanished. Jason glanced at Rocky and Adam, they stared back eyes wide reflecting his own confusion. Finally, as if they had all come to a decision they moved into the woods after their friend trying to move as quietly as he did.

They found Tommy standing under one of the trees looking up into the branches. He seemed to be watching something moving in the tree. “Tommy?” Jason was careful not to let his voice go up above normal conversation. “We should start looking for Aisha, Billy, and Kim.”

Tommy didn’t answer Jason instead he spoke to the tree. “Skinners go after cat, danger gone. Come down.”

The sound of rustling branches made the other three young men start to scramble back afraid of what could be coming out of the tree. When the figure dropped in front of them Rocky couldn’t help himself. He ran up and clasped his childhood friend in a hug.

"Hey, Rocky,” Aisha said softly, he let go and stepped back looking her up and down. Aisha looked down at her clothes or rather lack of. Her pants were shredded although her underpants were in good condition. Her shirt was hanging in strings and her bra hung loose, cut open. Both breasts were visible. “Don’t suppose you have a shirt?”

“Sorry,” Rocky muttered and Aisha sighed and used the remains of her shirt to make a band to tie over herself. It didn’t cover much but it would keep her from bouncing if they had to run And given their experiences thus far there was probably going to be an awful lot of running.

Tommy had moved away from the group. He examined the ground. “Billy and Kim went there.”

“You're sure? “Jason asked

Tommy regarded Jason with an unreadable expression. “Here, print. Points that way,” He gestured down scream. “two people together moving scared, and these follow them, hunting.”

Jason shook his head he couldn’t make heads or tails of the marks, but he trusted Tommy “we need to hurry.”

\--

Billy and Kim were finally forced to stop when the river exited the forest and went over a cliff. It was a breathtaking view. The spray causing rainbows which hung over a sea of red.

They had no time to admire the view. Both stared back into the forest trying to see what was there. When a figure finally stepped into view Kim nearly fainted. “No.” She whispered eyes wide.

“you.” Billy snarled.

“me.” It was a man who had been made by magic Rita Repulsa had bought a statue of Billy to life. The rangers had called him a clone, even if that was not strictly true.

“We destroyed you!” Billy managed to stammer out.

“No, you didn’t. I teleported out and Rita was so mad she sent me here.” The clone smiled. “But enough talk, let’s dance 

-

Tommy ran easily dodging around trees the others following him as best they could. They made too much noise, he thought. He said nothing, just saved his breath to run.

Kim was in danger, and he would Tear down the sky to save her. Tommy didn’t know why this was so. After all, it had been ten years since she had broken his heart.

He burst out of the trees onto the edge of a cliff. Tommy drew the string on his bow back and hesitated. Two identical figures struggled together.

“double vision,” Rocky stated.

One of the two Billy’s gout the upper hand. There was a flash of metal and blood flew in a red spray. Tommy released the arrow, but the clone had already moved. 

The clone had Kim in his arms, her broken neck making her head fall awkwardly to one side. Realizing she was dead Tommy snarled and flung himself at the clone. The other man moved faster tossing Kim on the back of one of the animals Tommy called deer and riding off. 

\--


End file.
